Re: Wellens wants ........................... : Wed May 14, 2014 7:54 am  

Sentiment can't rule in business or professional sport, no one is denying he is a nice guy, but young players have to know they stand a chance. If he gets a job on the coaching staff soon there will be more ex players on staff than players.

Re: Wellens wants ........................... : Wed May 14, 2014 7:55 am  

Judder Man wrote:

We,ve got 4 young players in the pack and I reckon Thompson and Sav will be the ones to break into the regular first 17.

I think those two have stood out.

Re: Wellens wants ........................... : Wed May 14, 2014 9:03 am  

jaybs wrote:

Sentiment can't rule in business or professional sport, no one is denying he is a nice guy, but young players have to know they stand a chance. If he gets a job on the coaching staff soon there will be more ex players on staff than players.

Young guys have to know if they don't perform they won't just be handed it anyway - competition for places is good whether it's guys like wellens or Flanaghan or the kids.

Nothing wrong with having some all time greats in the coaching staff. I'd go further - make a deal with a local uni, and offer anyone who achieves a testimonial the opportunity to go study a sports science/ nutritional science/ business degree and then come back onto the coaching staff. It's an incentive for players to stay (off salary cap), it would get great players back in the club, even if they drifted away at the end of their careers (like long) and add a bit of specialism into their coaching.

Re: Wellens wants ........................... : Wed May 14, 2014 10:04 am  

I,m just wondering if McManus is having a major input to this, he's already put a "few shots across the bows" with respect to attitude in some of our games.
Brown's weakness has shown up this year in that he can't raise the mental toughness level in the "important games", maybe Mc Manus wants to keep him on his toes above and below the coaching level.
Brown with respect to Wellens has already mentioned that he is the best middle defender in the team, I think he will be given another reduced contract just in case we become rudderless in the event of injuries to key players etc.

Re: Wellens wants ........................... : Wed May 14, 2014 10:55 am  

I'd be happy with Wellens been handed a another year. That doesn't mean I want him in the 17 every single week though. I don't think us Saints speccies appreciate him as much as we probably should. Players & coaches from other teams as well as our own coaching staff, put a huge value on his contribution. His experience is invaluable.

I look around the team and I can't see much leadership from the other players.

He's versatile, consistent, doesn't miss many tackles, got good hands, St.Helens born so he knows what it means to pull on that shirt. And the other players look up to him. Until we recruit a real leader, we're gonna need him.

Re: Wellens wants ........................... : Wed May 14, 2014 11:13 am  

As much as I love and respect him, I'm firmly of the belief that this should be his last year. There are simply better options than him in every position on the field. We are effectively playing with 16 men some weeks when we are bringing him on after an hour. Leading us onto the field as captain to then go and sit down for an hour is cringe-worthy in my eyes.

Purely from a playing point of view he adds very very little now. Put it this way, a player with the exact same playing ability as he currently has, but without the history, would get nowhere near our team, not even close.

I do understand the experience he brings to the team and the knowledge he can pass on to the younger players; however I believe this can be done from a coaching capacity. I also don't buy into the belief about him being required to carry on playing as he is this inspirational motivator and leader. As others have mentioned, what sort of motivational effect did he have on Good Friday and in the cup game v Leeds?

I have no doubt that the younger players will look up to him and see him as a role model/mentor, but again I think he could still have this effect from off the field. Some of his arm-waving tantrums on the field do not set a good example and I believe do not motivate his team.

Paul Wellens is a St.Helens legend. He has been a fantastic servant to our club and I've had the pleasure of watching him week in week out from his first season to his last. He has a glittering CV, both in terms of personal achievements and also silverware with Saints and what he has done over his career with us will never be forgotten.

HOWEVER, with every passing year that he carries on, he is in massive danger of tarnishing the memory he is leaving us with. Sean Long, Paul Sculthorpe and Keiron Cunningham are all fondly remembered as St.Helens greats who finished their playing days with us whilst still contributing massively on a weekly basis. Unfortunately the same can't be said for Wellens and the longer he goes on, the more distorted the memory of him will be in the minds of a lot of Saints fans.

Re: Wellens wants ........................... : Wed May 14, 2014 11:16 am  

Twentyman wrote:

I'd be happy with Wellens been handed a another year. That doesn't mean I want him in the 17 every single week though. I don't think us Saints speccies appreciate him as much as we probably should. Players & coaches from other teams as well as our own coaching staff, put a huge value on his contribution. His experience is invaluable.

I look around the team and I can't see much leadership from the other players.

He's versatile, consistent, doesn't miss many tackles, got good hands, St.Helens born so he knows what it means to pull on that shirt. And the other players look up to him. Until we recruit a real leader, we're gonna need him.

That was my arguement this year. That it's fine as we would only play him if Lomax was injured or if there was not a better forward available. At the moment he seems to be playing something of a security bench role.

Again if we had no Flanaghan, no Wilkin, then Wellens would fit that role, but we have a few too many of those and not enough firepower in other departments.

It's about balance for me and another year does seem to be tipping that balance.

Re: Wellens wants ........................... : Wed May 14, 2014 11:50 am  

Wilkin to be the brew b*tch for eternity!!!

Re: Wellens wants ........................... : Wed May 14, 2014 11:58 am  

St_Cunningham_no9 wrote:

Wilkin to be the brew b*tch for eternity!!!

He was pretty funny about being Wello's brew slave on SLS yesterday, must admit.

Re: Wellens wants ........................... : Wed May 14, 2014 1:53 pm  

Do we have to give him another contract ?

Can't he just have a statue and be happy with that ?

Perhaps the pose can be modelled on grasping at Scott Donald's bootlaces ,
when he should have retired.